SUGARY SIN BIN HELPS HEALTH CLUB MEMBERS KICK THE HABIT

The region’s leading health club is tackling the growing concern about sugar and the impact it has on people’s health by setting up a sugar sin bin where members can dump their sweety treats.

Those who drop off their sugary sin will then be sent a booklet on healthy eating as well getting a free one-to-one session to help with their exercise programme and to discuss their diet.

With calls by leading health officials for the amount of sugar to be dramatically cut from people’s diet, theclub at Cadbury House in Congresbury has now set up its sugar amnesty to highlight an issue that is viewed by some to be the greatest threat to human health!

Heading the campaign is Tom Horton, fitness manager at theclub.

Tom said: “With the summer holidays fast approaching many people will be looking to shed a few pounds.

“Many people’s perceptions however is that because they’ve lost a few pounds or dropped a dress size means that everything is OK. Although losing weight is fantastic the prevalence of sugar in a lot of what we consume also needs to be addressed.

“By providing additional guidance on nutrition and the amount of hidden sugar contained in what many regard as being healthy food will hopefully alter people’s eating habits for the better.”

Tom’s concerns are backed by research that added sugar in food and drink is 11 times more potent at causing diabetes than general calories.

With 26 per cent of Britons obese and half labelled as being overweight, health issues associated with being overweight or obese costs the NHS more than £5 billion every year increasing cardiovascular problems, cancer as well as conditions such as type 2 diabetes, osteoarthritis and hypertension.

In North Somerset the figures aren’t any better with 24 per cent of people in the district being obese as are one-in-ten four-year-olds!

Tom added: “Some of the stats are just mind blowing. The issue is so serious that by not doing something now can and will have serious implications in the future not only for adults but for children.

“A high sugar diet supplemented by a lack of exercise will lead to higher incidence of people being overweight and being more susceptible to conditions such as type 2 diabetes.

“In Britain research shows that the average person consumes about 700g of sugar a week which is the equivalent to 140 teaspoons! Reaching that figure is not as difficult as it seems especially when a 500ml bottle of cola contains the equivalent of 17 cubes of sugar.

“The other issue raised about sugar is that it is highly addictive. By dumping sweets and chocolate in our sin bin will form the first step for our members to changing their habits without feeling any form of guilt.

“Supplemented by a sensible exercise programme it will go a long way to a much healthier and energetic lifestyle.”